Carrier apparatus



L. W. CH'ISM.

CARRIER APPARATUS.

APPLicATxoN FILED 1uNE12, 1911. 1,347,496. Patented July 27, 1920.

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L. W. CHISM.

CARRIER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12| I9I. 1,347,496. Patented July 27, 1920.

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Inventor:

Louis WC'hiem, b u? %a y a a i L. W. CHISM.

CARRIER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 'JUNE x2. 1917.

L. W. CHISM.

CARRIER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1uNE12. 1917.

1,347,496, Patented J lily 27, 1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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L. W. CHISM,

CARRIER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 111x512. 191?.

Patented July 27, 1920.

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` l llfrveif`ovA Louis .UZ/alsm.

L. W. CHISM.

CARRIER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 12, 1917.

Patented July 27, 1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET e.

UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS W. CHISM, 0F SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEELPRODUCTS COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

CARRIER APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1920.

I Application led June 12, 1917. Serial No. 174,259.

To all whom t may concern.'

. Be it known that I, Louis W. CHISM, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Southington, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in Carrier Apparatus, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to carrier apparatus of the cable propulsionclass, and is more particularly concerned with store service apparatusof the so-called high line type, in which the principal Vportions of thesystem occupy a high level, while drop stations brought down to a lowlevel at the counters have provision for receiving the carriers from anddelivering them to the high level.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the followingdescription, when taken in connection `with the accompanying drawingsshowing two specific embodiments thereof, while its Ascope will be morepar ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of one form of acarrier apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 1 is a detail sectional view on line 13b-1a of Fig. l; l

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the apparatus shownin Fig. 1, both figures when taken together being considered asone'view;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3=3 of Fiv. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan section on line 4 4 of Fi 1- Frigf41 is a detail plansection on line 4& 4JL of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views on an enlarged scale on line5-5 of Fig. 1, illustrating the transfer of the driving engagement ofthe carrier from the auxiliary cable to the main cable. Y

Fig. 7 is a perspective diagram of the cables and pulleys, orvwheels, ofthe apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive;

Fig. 8 is a similarperspective diagram of the cables and pulleys, orwheels, of a modified form of apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation ofthe upper portion of the modified form ofapparatus;

Fig. 10 is a detail plan section on line 10-10 of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the modified form of apparatus shown inFigs. 8, 9 and 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings, and to theembodiment of my invention which is here shown, the carrier apparatusselected for exemplification comprises a main outgoing track 12 and amain incoming track 13, which, it will bel understood, connect acashiers station, not shown, with one or more outlying sub-stations, ofwhich one is shown for example. The outgoing'track. 12 is composed of apair of usual rails, while the incoming track 13 is composed of a pairof usual rails adapted to guide a carrier 14 of usual and well-knownconstruction. Associated with the tracks 12 and 13 is a. suitableendless carrier-propelling cable, having an outwardly traveling lead 15and an inwardly traveling lead 16. The carrier is provided with guides17, 17, and 18, 18, to receive the rails therebetween. The carrier isalso provided with usual and well-known clutching means, comprising afixed gripper 19 and a spring-controlled gripper 20, which is operatedin a wellknown manner by closing and opening cams to grip and releasethe cable.

Additional guides 21 on the sides of the carrier act in a well-knownmanner to divert the carrier selectively from the main outgoing trackinto the outlying sub-station to which it belongs.

To this end, the station is provided with usual switch tracks 22,arranged in pairs, two on each side of the carrier and separated fromeach other by slots 23 to receive the guides 21. These guides, as usual,are placed at various heights upon the carriers, according to thestation to which they loelong, and the diverting switch tracks 22 are inpractice correspondingly placed as to height from the outgoing track 12.Such of the carriers as are not intended for this particular stationwill pass from left to right (Fig. 1) beneath the diverting switchtracks 22, and travel along to the station to which they belong. Suchof; the carriers as belong to the particular station shownl will bediverted :from the outgoing track 10 by the engagement of the guides 21with the diverting switch tracks 22, so that the carrier, while stillmaintaining its hold upon the cable, will be liited out of coperationwith the track 12, said track for this purpose being provided with usualoffset or laterally spread portions 24, to permit the guides 18 to clearsuch track. When the carrier ,is thus diverted from the main outgoingtrack, it still maintains its holdon the cable fora time, thus liftingthe cable from itsnormal the bottom oi' the station, where it strikes abuffer 2G, and it mayvv then be removed` fromlaterally` offset 'portions27 of said track.

4I will now describe the means wherebyV carriers may be despatched fromthis particularstation to themain incoming track, and thence along thelatter to the cashiers station, and whereby other carriers despatchedfrom a more remote station or-stations may pass this particular stationon their `way to the cashiers station.

'An' upward despatching track 28, provided with laterally offsetportions 29 for the introduction of the carrier inthe usual manner,leads from a base 30 at the foot of; the station in an upward direction,and curves from a vertical into a horizontal plane at the level of theincoming-track 13. -Iere it extends a short distance horizontallyparallel with the track 13, as best, seen in Fig. 4, `and thenV curvestoward and merges into the track 13, so asto deliver carriers intothelatter. r

Adjacent the unction of the tracks 13 and 28, I have provided suitablemeansto maintain the carriers in proper relationship with saidtrackswhether the carriers are inward bound along the main incomingtrack 13er the branch incoming track 28.Y To this end, VI have providedupper and lowerV guards 31 and 32, best shown in Figs. 1, 1n and 4. `Theupper guard 31 is herein supported on brackets 33 and l34, while thelower guard 32 is supported on brackets 35 and 36. By reference to Fig.4, considered in connectionwith Figs. V4 andfl, it will be observedVthat-the guard 31 is provided with a depending rib 37 extendinglengthwise of, and generally parallel with, the track13, and a secondrib 38 extending obliquely with reference to the iirst and generallyparallel with the adjacent portions ofthetrack'28.4

By refcrenceto Fig. 4a, :it will Vbe ob-` served Vthat the rib .38terminatesshort of' the rib 37, so as to allow therebetween aVclearance-for an upwardly projecting hany dle 39 on the cover of thecarrier.14, as best seenin Fig. 1a. A

The guard 32 is soplaced as toheight that the guides 18 of the carrierwill ride along the top of said plate, and thus the n carrier will besupported thereby whether it be traveling inwardly (to the left, Fig.4)V

' along the main track '13, or along the branch track 28 into the mainincoming track 13.

Thus the carrierl is prevented from' drop-A ping into what wouldotherwise be open space at the intersection of the main and branchtracks. The upper guard 31, on the other hand, serves as a means toprevent the carrier from rising, or at leastfrom risingYV to such anVextent as to become` thrown out olfv proper relationship' with 'thetracks, as will be evidentv from an inspection oi Fig. 1a. l

The construction of these guards vbears some similarity to constructions`disclosed. inV co-pending Yapplication 331,507, October 17, 1919, arenewal ofi-an application iled June 13, 1912, and application 836,054,May 4, 1914. Certain claims to this subjectmatter have been'presented inthese applications.V Y Y As a means for propelling carriers in anupwarddirectionf-along-the track-28, and

thence horizontally into cooperation with the main incoming track 13,1have hereinV provided Aan auxiliaryv endless cable 40. This cable isherein supported and guided in such a way as to Vforni a horizontal loop41, and a depending vertical loop 42, the latter having an ascendinglead 43', to vwhich the grippers 19v and 2O vofthe carrier 14aregrippedin a usualand well-known manner, when the carrier is to fbedespatched in an upward direction from the `lower portion of thestation, as illustrated in Fig. 2,

there being-provided a usual closing camV 44 to operate the movablev"gripper '2O in a manner too well known to require further description.1 l

A. In the present instance, the lowerend of the loop 427is'formed,'andthe tension of the auxiliary cable is maintained, by anV idle pulley orwheel 45,v the latter being mounted on a shaft 46 journaled inVsuitable. movable bearings V47 cariied by a combined pulley guardand'weight 48.' Thelatter is in the form ofa `housing mounted to slideVvertically on the railsiof the track 28, and upon a pair ofsuitable'rods49. This housing is made VVsuiiiciently heavy to' maintain 'lead of theloop rests.

of which the auxiliary cable is driven. The lower, or returning lead 54of the loop 41 extends from the pulley 53 to an idle pulley or wheel 55,and from the latter the descending lead 56 of the loop 42 extends to thepulley 45 at the bottom of the loop.

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the horizontal loop 41of the auxiliary cable 40 is inclined at an angle to the vertical loop42, 'or to putit another way, is at a slight angle with relation to themain track 13 and the inwardly traveling lead 16 of the main cable. Allthe pulleys or wheels are suitably grooved to receive the cable,but asan additional safeguard to prevent any danger of the horizontal loop 41escaping from the 'pulley or Wheel 53, the latter is herein providedwith an extra deep flange 57, best seen in Figs. 1 and 4.

Heretofore, in the use of store service equipments having auxiliarycables driven by the main cable, some trouble has been experienced owingto the difficulty of supplying power from the main cable to theauxiliary cable without more or less serious slippage. As a means forovercoming these difficulties, I have herein provided the incoming lead16 of the main cable with a loop 58 of suitable form appropriatelyconnected with the pulley 53 to drive the latter and thus to impart thedesired motion to the auxiliary cable. This loop may take other forms,but herein is closed and is formed about two'wheels or pulleys only,designated 59 and 60. This loop, it should be observed, extends in thesame general direction as the incoming lead 16, but preferably has adownward inclination ytoward its inner end (toward the left, Figs. 1 and7). It will also be noted that the two leads of the cable which form theloop 58 cross each other. In the present example, the point of crossingis adjacent the wheel 60, as best shown in Fig. 7, and as the loop has aslight downward inclination toward its left-hand end (Figs. 1, 4 and 7),the pulley 60 is herein provided with a large hub 61, on which oneW'hile the pulleys 53 and 59 might actually be made separate andconnected, or otherwise suitably secured to each other, I prefer to formthem integral, as best seen in Fig. 4.

It is found in practice that with the loop 58 of the described form,there is suflicient arc of contact of the main cable with the pulley 59to insure the requisite power for the driving of the auxiliary cable,without the slippage which has heretofore caused more o r lessdifliculty in carrier apparatus of this general type.

Owing to thepresence of the loop 58 in the main cable, it must beevident that an incoming carrier traveling along the main track 13,propelled by the incoming lead 16 of the main cable, must be disengagedfrom the latter and rengaged therewith adjacent the loop 58. To thisend, I have herein provided (see Fig. 4) an opening cam 62 in the pathof the movable gripper 20 to open the latter thereby to disengage thecarrier from the cable, and a closing cam 63 in the path of said gripperto cause the rengagement of the carrier with the cable. At this point, Ihave provided a dip or depression 64 in the main track 13, operating ina usual and well-known manner to cause the carrier to descendmomentarily, so that the cable will be in the proper position betweenthe grippers 19 and 20 when the latter is closed by the closing cam 63.The distance between the opening cam 62 and the closing cam 63 is sovery short that the interruption and reestablishment of the drivingconnection between the carrier and the main cable occursinstantaneously, and without substantial loss of momentum. There is,therefore, no danger of carriers becoming stalled at this point. Thesecams perform another important function,-that of transferring thedriving engagement of carriers from the auxiliary cable 52 to the mainincoming lead .'16 of the main cable. When a carrier is despatchedupwardly along the track Y28, it maintains its hold upon the cable 52,and as the carrier passes from the branch track 28 into the main track13, the grippers draw the auxiliary cable 52 from its normal positionshown in Fig. 5 to that which is shown in Fig. 6. The carrier, stillmaintaining its hold upon the auxiliary cable, travels along the maintrack 13 until the gripper 2O encounters the opening cam 62, whereuponthe latter opens the gripper and releases the auxiliary cable. It shouldhere be noted that I have herein provided a bracket 65, having adepending guard 66 against which the auxiliary cable 52 is brought bythe grippers of the carrier when the latter is on the main track, asillustrated in Fig. 6. This prevents interference of the cables and'compels the auxiliary cable to snap back into its normal positionillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The carrier now continues along under its momentum until it is engagedwith the main cable bymeans of the closing cam 63. To this end, thecarrier, having thus been engaged with the main cable, continues on itsway to the cashiers station.

Referring now to Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, I have there shown a carrierapparatus similar in most respects to that hereinbefore described, butmodified as to the arrangement of the auxiliary cable, more particularlythe depending loop ofthe latter. This modification is such as to enableme to utilize this form, not merely as a depending drop station, butalso as a branch which may descend and then extend laterally in anydesired direction so as to serve a counter which is not situateddirectly beneath or adjacent not to interfere with the latter.

` addition of the index `prime to the main tracks. In connection withthese f igures,`for the sake ofconvenience of coinparison with the formiirst described, I havel employed corresponding reference charactersvfor corresponding parts, but Ywith the In this modification, I provideVas be'i'ore main outgoing and'incoming tracks 12' and 13', a carrier14'V propelled along said tracks by outgoing and incoming leads 15 and16 of a maincable, andhaving guides 17' and.

18' and grippers 19 and 20'. In thiscase, also, an outward vboundcarrier belonging to this particular station is diverted from the mainoutgoing track 12 by diverting switching tracks 22 onto aV branchoutgoingtrack 25. In this form, however, the carrier, after descendingthe branch outgoing track 25 for a greater or less distance, is power sdriven 'to its destination byk an auxiliary cable 42. l y.

This auxiliary cable differs from that pre- ,viously described,particularly in that the ascendng and descending leads of its dependingloop are reversed in position, so that the descending lead is associatedwith -thebranch outgoing track for the propulsion of carrierstherealong. Here, the ascending lead 43' of theV depending loop 42.passes in an upward direction over an idle .pulley 50'. The upperlead52' of the herizontal loop 4l' extends from the pulley 50 toa pulley53', while the lower lead 54 eX- tends from the pulley 53' to a pulley55',

'Y and the downwardly traveling lead 56' extends'from the latter pulley.

t should here be observed'that the pulley 55' is of extra wide Jface(see Fig. 11), and its axis is obliquely disposed so as to bring thelead 54` forward (Fig. 9) beyond the track 28', so as The angley atwhich this pulley is set in practice is such that when the cable ismoved in the proper direction, it will be maintained in its properrelation with said pulley, as shown in Figs. 9 and 11. Y p

Inthis form, the pulley'' is secured to and driven by a pulley 59', andthe latter is driven by a loop 58 in the incoming lead 16' of the maincable, similar to that hereinbefore described. So, also, in this case,opening and closing cams 62' and 68 are `associated with the loop 58 andserve as in cation, carriers diverted from the main out-V Y going track12' onto the branch outgoing track 25' travel along the latter undertheir own momentum fory a greater or less distance, and are thencepropelledfto'ward their destination by the downwardly traveling lead 56'of the auxiliary cable. To this end, I have provided a closing cam 67,associated with the descending lead-56', soV as to clutch the cablegrippers-19' and20 onto the latter. This closing cam maybe situatedatany suitable point along the branchY outgoing track 25. The latter isherein (see 75 Fig. 11) extended vertically or'some dis-fV tance, andthen horizontally to a horizontal station 68. The incoming branch 28' issimilarly extended in parallel relationshipv with the track 25 to thestation 68, and the lat-v ter is provided with a pulley 45 atV the end vof the loop 42', this pulley' being carried byl a suitably combinedrpulley guard and cable y tensioning device 48'. The outward branch 25'is provided with usual Vollset openings 27 for the removal of: thecarrier at the station 68, and adjacent these openings there is providedan opening cam 69 to unclutch the carrier from the outward travelinglead 56', after which the carrier is stopped by a buiier 26', and maythen be removed through the openings 27. To provide for the despatchingoi a carrier from this station, the track 28' is provided with oisetopenings 29', and there is Vprovided arclosing cam 44 to cause thelatterto be clutched tothe' incoming lead 48 in an obvious manner. 'c jThe direction ofthe branch'outgoing and incoming tracks 25"and 28', maybe changed from vertical to horizontalby any usual or desired means,such orexample as awiell-- known corner 70 equipped wth-apairofco-axially disposed wheels 71 `to receive the leads 56' and 43" of theauxiliary cable. In the operation of this form, aswell as thatV of theJform iirst described, ajcarrier dispatched from ythe substation travelsalong the branch incoming track 28y and from the latter onto `the mainVincoming' track 13', and after reaching the latter, its 110 drivingengagement istransferredfrom the auxiliary cable to the main'V cable bythe v opening and closing cams 62' V4and 63', whereupon it continues onits way along the main track.l

IlThile I have herein shown. and described two specific forms orembodiments of n'iyin-v ventioii orgillustrative purposes, and havedisclosed and discussed in detail'the con-V structions and arrangementsincidental to two specific applications thereof, it is Vto be understoodthat the invention is rlii'nited neither to the mere details or.relative arrangements of parts,nor top-its'specific emiis bodimentsherein shown, but that extensive deviations ifromtheilliistrated i'ormsor embodiments of theV invention may be made without departingfrom'theprinciples thereof. A .l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by LettersPatent to sedriven by said loop for driving said driven cable, and meansto interrupt and restablish the driving connections between said carrierand said driving cable, thereby to permit said carrier to pass said loopwithout traversing the same.

2. In a carrier apparatus, the Combination of a carrier, twocarrier-propelling cables one driven by the other, the driving cablebeing provided with a closed loop, means driven by said loop for drivingsaid driven cable, and means to interrupt and reestablish the drivingconnection between said carrier and said driving cable Within the limitsof said loop.

3. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of a carrier, twocarrier-propelling cables one driven by the other, the driving cablebeing provided with a loop, two wheels only about which said loop isformed, means driven by said loop for driving said driven cable, andmeans to interrupt and reestablish the driving connection between saidcarrier and said driving cable intermediate the axes of said wheels.

4. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of a carrier, twocarrier-propelling cables one driven by the other, the driving cablebeing provided with a loop, two wheels only about which said loop isformed, a third wheel connected to and driven by one of said two wheelsand in turn driving said driven cable, and a track to guide said carrierpast said loop without traversing the same.

5. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of a carrier, twocarrier-propelling cables one driven by the other, the driving cablebeing provided with a loop, two wheels forming ends of said loop, meansdriven by one of said wheels for driving said driven cable, and means todisconnect said carrier from and connect the same with said drivingcable between the ends of said loop.

6. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of a carrier, twocarrier-propelling cables one driven by the other, the driving cablebeing provided with a loop, two wheels about which said loop is formed.,two leads of said cable forming said loop crossing each other, meansdriven by one of said wheels for driving said driven cable, and means tointerrupt and reestablish the driving connection between said carrierand said driving cable adjacent such crossing.

7. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of two carrier-propellingcables one driven by the other, the driving cable being provided with aloop, means driven by said loop for driving said driven cable, acarrier, means to transfer driving engagement of said carrier' from oneto the other of said cables, and means to transfer driving en gagementof said carrier from one part of said driving cable to another adjacentsaid loop.

v8. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of two carrier-propellingcables one driven by the other, the driving cable being provided with aloop, two leads of said loop crossing each other, means driven by saidloop for driving said driven cable, a carrier, means to transfer drivingengagement of said carrier from one to the other of said cables, andmeans to transfer driving engagement of said carrier from one part ofsaid driving cable on one side of said crossing to another part on theother side of said crossing.

9. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of two carrier-guidingtracks, one delivering carriers to the other, two carrierpropellingcables, one driven by the other, the driving cable being provided with aloop, means driven by said loop for driving said driven cable, and meansforcausing the transfer of a carrier from one of said tracks to theother and the transfer of the driving engagement of the carrier from oneof said cables to the other and from one part of said driving cable toanother adjacent said loop.

l0. In a. carrier apparatus, the combination of a carrier,carrier-propelling means, carrier-guiding means including two tracks,one converging toward and delivering carriers into the other, saidtracks having each two rails, one rail of one track merging into andconstituting in effect a continuation of one rail of the other track,the remaining adjacent converging rails terminating and forming an apex,and oppositely disposed supplemental carrier-guiding means to receiveand guide carriers therebetween past said apex.

l1. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of a carrier,carrier-propelling means, carrier-guiding means including two tracksdisposed in a horizontal plane, one converging toward and deliveringcarriers into the other, said tracks having each two rails, one rail ofone track merging into and constituting in effect a continuation of onerail of the other track, the remaining adjacent converging railsterminating and forming an apex, and supplemental carrier-guiding meansdisposed above and below the plane of said tracks to receive and guidecarriers therebetween pas't said apex.

12. In a carrier apparatus, the combination of a carrier,carrier-guiding means, carrier-propelling means including an endlesscable having a loop comprising two leads, a

Y Iier-propelling `means including an endless Y wheel in said lo0p,fandcombined cable-ten sioning and wheel-guarding means in which said wheelis mounted foi' tiavel lengthwise of said loop, said wheel-guardingmeans cable having a depending loop, a wheel suspended. in said loop,and combined cable-tenc sioning and wheel-guarding means in which saidwheel is mounted for tiavel lengthwise of said loop, said wheel-guardingmeans comprising a depending wall about said wheel.

v141;. In a cairiei apparatus, the .combination of a carrier,carrier-guiding means, cai'- rief-propelling means including an endlesscable having a depending loop comprising two leads, a wheel suspended insaid loop, and a housing for said wheel, said housing having its weightsustained by said wheel and constituting a tensioning means for saidcable, said housing having a pait disposed intermediate said leads andapart depending about said wheel.

v`l5. In a carrier. apparatus, the combina- Vtionfof acarne1'cai'rier-guiding means, cai- Iier-propellingmeans including anendless cable having a depending loop, a wheelsuspended in said loop,and lcombined cable-tensioning and wheel-guarding means in which saidwheel is mounted foi' travelvlengthwise of said loop, saidcable-tensioning and cableguarding means being mounted to slide on andlengthwise of said carrier-guiding means, and having provision to guardthe uppei' part of said wheel andthe adJacent portions oi' said loop.

In testimony whereofv I have signed my name to this specication.

Louis w. ciiisMT

